Apparatus for removing carbonaceous material from oil-treating apparatus



Feb. 26, 1929.

L. C. HUFF APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL FROM OIL TREATING APPARATUS Original ed June 15, 1925 mm 2 w m M. 5 h

Patented F eb."26, 1929.

UNITED STATES,

LYMAN 0. sun, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGINOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING vGARB ONACEOU'S MATERIAL FROM OIL-TREATING APPARATUS.

Application filed June 15, 1925, Serial This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for removing carbonaceous material from oil treating apparatus and refersmore particularly to means mounted within the reaction chamber, comprising a heavy metal flexible element suspended within substantially the central portion of-the chamber and enclosed by spaced upright rods, which latter form in eflect an open-ended cage.

Another length of flexible element may have one end disposed adjacent an end of the chamber and stretched around the upright rods in a series of vertically spaced layers. The lengths of flexible metal element are adapted to be suspended within the interior of said chamber and in the bed of carbonaceous material deposited therein. These flexiblemetal elements are adapted to be withdrawn from an end of said reaction chamber when the oil 0 treating operation has been completed.

' In practice, the withdrawal of the flexible elements from the end of the reaction chamher will not only disrupt the carbon formation, but at the same time will assist in Withdrawing large amounts of carbonaceous material up to say sixty per cent.

The invention described in this application is in part an improvement on the subject matter of co-pending application filed by me in the United States Patent Oflice, Serial No. 614,954, filed January 26, 1923, which has matured into Patent No. 1,548,004 granted July 28, 1925.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a reaction chamber illustrating my invention, said view being taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the chamber illustrating a carbon bed with the cage and inner flexible element removed;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the enlarged chamber 14 may take the form of an enlarged chamber vertically disposed, having an inlet 13, receiving heated oil which has been heated to substantially a conversion temperature in a pipe still, for instance, not shown. Immediately upon being introduced into the interior of the chamber 14, substantial separation of lighter fractions will take place, and the vapors liberated from the heat- .ed oil may be'discharged through the outlet No. 37,122. Renewed August 3, 1928.

12, which may in turn discharge the vapors to the usual dephlegmator and condenser, not

shown. Coincident with the liberation of the vapors, carbon particles will be precipitated,

increasing height of the carbon bed within the chamber.

It is understood, of course, that in the class of oil treatment in which my invention particularly belongs, there is no substantial precipitation and accumulation of carbon in the pipe still. It is desired that substantial separation of vapors take place within the chamber 14, .the precipitated carbon being deposited therein and gradually building up within the chamber. Any desired pressure may be maintained in the reaction chamber 14 from three to several hundred pounds per square inch.

Referring now to some of the features of the present invention, within the enlarged chamber 14 and attached to the inner wall thereof, are spaced upright books 23, of which there may be any number, the arrangement being such that there may be any desired number of layers of hooks, each layer being disposed at different vertical heights in the chamber. A plurality of spaced uprights rods 101 which may have hooked base portions 102 are placed in the interior of the chamber in the form of an open-ended cage substantially centrally thereof. Within the space formed by the spaced rods 101 may be spirally wound a metal flexible element 103, which may have an eye-bolt 104, as shown. This metal flexible element may take the form of a steel cable, chain or the like. The element 103 may be. fastened at its points of contact with the supporting uprights 101 by means of the small tie wires 105, these tie wires being of say twelve to fourteen gauge.

A second metal flexible element 106 may be wound in layers outside or exterior of the supportin uprights 101, the arrangement being such t at the path of travel is outwardly from the point a toward the point b, the

points of contact between the flexible element 106 and hooks 23 being connected by means of small tie. wires 105' similar to the tie wires 105. The metal flexible element is passed from hook to hook on this lower layer until it is attached to all of the hooks, at which time it may bepassed upwardly, as shown at 108, in an inwardly extending direction, where it is again wound in a gradually outwardly progressing direction and attached to a second layer; It is, of course, understood that this arrangement may, be followed and any desired number of layers may be formed, The rods 101 may be. held in place by means of the horizontalliy extending tie wires 107, having their outsi e ends'attached to the books at 23. During the operation of an oil treating proc-' .ess, precipitated carbon will accumulate and settle upon the lower coils of the metal flexible element and as it builds up, the lengths of the metal flexible element and uprights extending within the chamber will be positioned in the body of, accumulated carbon. After the apparatus has been-shut down and a suiiicient time elapsed for cooling, the lower manholeplate 16 closing the lower end, or an upper manhole plate, not shown, closing the upper end, or both, may be 0 cried and the portion 104 onthe metal flexib e element 103 may be attached to any suitable mechanism for exert ing apulling force thereon, such as a winch.

As the metal flexible element 103 is being forcefully withdrawn from the chamber 14,

the light gauge tiewires 105 will successivelybreak, allowing the metal flexible element to be easily with rawn. This will disruptand withdraw the carbon from the central portion of the chamber, forming an opening through saidbed. The uprights 101 may be then re-' moved, which leaves a very pronounced'opem ing, as clearly shown at 109 in Fig. 2, through the carbon bed. v I

The metal flexible element 106 is then withdrawn, which disrupts the remainder of the carbon bed and facilitates its eventual with:

drawa l. The opening formed in the bed of carbon allows for the entrance of a workman, if found desirable, into the interior of the chamber, in order to assist the breaking of 123 bond between the particles forming the It has always been a diificult matter to rebrokeucarbon formation, considerable time movea carbon formation of this character when it is permitted to accumulatein substantially soli form and where there is an un is lc'st in disrupting said formationand removing it from the chamber. By means of the apparatus of the present invention,the

carbon accumulation can be readily broken up and removed from the chamber and the apparatus agaih made ready for operation within a comparatively short time. In addition, the withdrawal of the flexible element 103 and uprights 101 not only disrupts the central portion of the carbon bed, but also removes the carbon, forming a central opening through the carbon bed.

Ihave shown and described the metal flexible elements as being wound in spiral or coil fashion. It must be understood, however, that the winding of the metal flexible element may take any desired form for instance, the flexible elements may be wound spirally, zigzag, coiled, star-shaped, or in any other suit able manner. I have shown and described a vertical reaction chamber, but it must be understood that I may use a horizontal or other suitable type of'reaction chamber.

It is to be understood that the ends of the flexible elements which are to be removed through the ends of the chamber may be'posibottom of the chamber. When withdrawn through the top end of the chamber, the bottom -end may be openedto allow a substantial portion of the disrupted carbon to fall out. p

I. claim as my invention:

1. In an oil conversion apparatus, the combination with an enlarged chamber having suitable walls 'and'in which chamber. carbon is precipitated and accumulated, of flexible metal elements releasably supported within said chamber, one of said elements extending through substantially the central part of the chamber, spaced uprights forming a cage surrounding said element, and another of said flexible elements extending through the chamber exteriorly of the uprights, the flexible elements being adaptedto be withdrawn from the chamber todisruptcarbon precipitated therein.

2. In an oil apparatus, the combination with an enlar ed chamber having suitable walls and in which chamber carbon accumulates of flexible metallic elements releasably supported within said chamber, one of said bers positioned about said element, and another of said flexible elements extending through the chamber exteriorly of said spaced members, said flexible elements being adapted to be withdrawn from the chamber to disrupt carbon deposits accumulated therein.

LYMAN 0.. 

